Located on the third floor of the sparkly, shiny and very recently launched Omni Fort Worth Hotel, the Mokara Spa is one of what the mothership is calling its “upscale spas.” And it delivers on upscale with soft robes you almost melt into upon arrival, a calming and comfy waiting room with an expansive view of downtown and an opportunity to hit the sauna and just linger long after being pampered.
Private rooms for massaging, facial-ing and body polishing also feel sinfully luxurious, with softer-than-soft sheets and just-right temperature, which is a big deal when you’re mostly naked. Although eight varieties of massages are featured, from basic Swedish to the signature Mokara, being nine months pregnant, I decided to try the Mother To Be. As the woman who booked the appointment said when I called, “It is 60 minutes of relaxation, which I am guessing you need right about now.”
The experience: The Mokara Spa just opened and, as expected, a few kinks needed unkinking. Nobody answered the phone the first four times I tried to make an appointment, and my first appointment was canceled due to an unexpected spa closing.
Both were handled with apologies and professionalism, though, and a massage is inevitably judged by its relaxation factor. Especially when discomfort has been a way of life for almost 10 months.
I began the Mother To Be by going over a questionnaire with my masseuse: How is the pregnancy going? What hurts? What needs TLC? What do you want from the next 60 minutes?
And with that begins the pampering.
Starting on my back (yes, at an incline, to avoid the pregnancy no-no of lying flat on your back), what I am told is an all-natural, chemical-free whipped shea butter balm is massaged into what have become cankles and extremely swollen feet. Both problems seem like distant memories after a couple of minutes, and this continues on the legs and arms.
Of course, the real test of any massage is when you flip onto your stomach and the kneading and rubbing is focused on the back. And anybody who has been or is pregnant knows there is no way to get there, or even close to there, comfortably.
Instead the masseuse had me lie on my side, gave me a pillow for support and started working on the kinks that had built up after almost nine months of carrying around another person. Then it was on to the other side. And I am not ashamed to say, I have not slept that well in two months.
The massage literature promises to use “tried & tested, safe pregnancy techniques to . . . alleviate fatigue, sooth muscle and joint pain, and improve circulation.” I just know I felt lighter and better.
I woke up just as she was massaging my temples and scalp, which were no longer begging for an Advil and then, poof, we were done way, way, way too soon.
Cost: The Mother To Be is $110 for a 60-minute massage, while a Mokara Mother To Be package, which includes massage, Moroccan Rose Manicure and Instant Revival Pedicure, is $230. A complete list of all spa services, including packages, is available online or in a brochure from the hotel.
Good to know: While adapted for each stage of pregnancy, the Mother To Be massage (like all things during these nine months) is probably best to run by your OB-GYN first. And book now, before the secret gets out about this spa and appointments are harder to come by.
To better serve the needs of its patients, CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth has announced that it will celebrate the opening of CHRISTUS Health Living Spa – a Murad Inclusive Health® Center on March 4, 2009.
The innovative, state-of-the-art CHRISTUS day spa is designed to take the spa experience to the next level with individually tailored programs and treatments designed to reduce the rate of cellular aging and apply the Inclusive Health philosophies of world-renowned skincare and healthy living pioneer, Howard Murad, M.D. Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and founder of Murad, Inc. The 3,400-square-foot spa will be located in a newly renovated space on the first level of the Outpatient Pavilion on the St. Elizabeth Campus at 755 N. 11th Street, Beaumont, TX 77702.
Dr. Murad founded the first Murad Inclusive Health Center in Los Angeles as a place to gather an elite team of health, beauty and fitness experts and to train them to use his Science of Cellular Water philosophy to help people take control of the aging process. Using this “inclusive,” multi-disciplinary approach to bring inner health, outer beauty and emotional well-being to each client, the new spa will offer Dr. Murad’s proven science-based services and treatments designed to improve appearance and overall well-being – all under a physician’s supervision.
“Having a full-service elite Murad spa on site gives us the ability to improve our guests’ lifestyles in a variety of ways, “said Mario Mudano, Administrator for CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth. “Instead of just having people come see us when they are sick, we are proactively promoting wellness and healthy living.”
Benjamin Beckert, M.D., will serve as the CHRISTUS Health Living Spa’s medical director. Dr. Beckert, a plastic surgeon, has been performing procedures at CHRISTUS Hospital for five years and will oversee all medical services.
“Dr. Beckert has a wealth of experience,” Mudano says. “He gives us the security of knowing that a medical doctor has approved and is supervising all procedures; something that a regular spa doesn’t offer.”
The spa will be staffed with massage therapists, skin care specialists and other personal care experts. All skincare treatments will feature exclusive professional spa products from Murad, designed to enhance appearance by improving skin health at the most fundamental level.
In addition to the full menu of services, ranging form massages, manicures, facials and hair removal treatments to noninvasive face lifts and spray-on tanning, visitors to the spa will also be able to purchase natural cosmetics made of 100 percent crushed minerals. The Murad line of skin care products will also be available for purchase.
CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth, a 434-bed Catholic, not-for-profit health care facility in Beaumont, Texas, is the largest hospital between Houston and Baton Rouge. The hospital is the recognized regional leader in outpatient services, cardiology, oncology, neurology, pediatrics, general surgery, birthing, neonatal care, cardiac rehabilitation, imaging, and emergency services, and is designated as a Level III Trauma Center. CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth has set the standard for progressive health care in Southeast Texas, and is the largest hospital in the area to be recognized by the Magnet Program through the American Nurses Credentialing Center for providing the highest level of nursing care. The hospital continues to adapt and change to meet the needs of the community, following the values and mission of the founding Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston and San Antonio–to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All Murad products are based on The Science of Cellular Water™, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging.
The Murad brand includes 88 consumer products and 45 professional products sold in 45 countries. Murad is the best selling clinical skincare brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta. Known globally for high performance topical and internal skincare, Murad has grown by producing innovative products that meet the needs of its customers.
We’re finally on a critical path to Christmas, and with that brings the holiday-themed spa treatments that I look forward to as much as the Starbucks Christmas coffee.
The Bliss Spa’s offering consists of the Snow Wonder mani-pedis. The manicure features a crisply-scented hot cream soak and a complimentary Essie nail polish to keep.
A soak, complimented by a sugar scrub and polish, makes the Snow Wonder pedicure a hydrating, cold-weather treat.
Once you’ve absolutely fallen in love with the fragrance, make it a full-body experience with the ultra-moisturizing body butter. You’ve absolutely gotta love Bliss and their lingo. Here’s their description of the Snow Wonder experience:
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Cool-as-a-cucumber spa treatment
If this is the way we could keep cool all summer, then we say bring on the heat!
Daireds Salon and Spa Pangea in Arlington now offers a delicious-sounding Thai Honey Cucumber Facial. We haven’t tried it yet, but here’s how the spa describes what happens during 60 minutes of what sounds to us like spa heaven: “Thai honey and freshly squeezed lime juice are combined and applied during a 15-minute facial massage . . . the acid in the lime juice naturally exfoliates and lifts up the dead skin cells. After the honey and lime massage, the face is cleansed with warm towels, and a mask of fresh cucumber slices are applied to the entire face, neck and decolletage to cool and tighten the skin, reduce any skin irritation and replenish moisture. The cucumber mask remains in place while the esthetician massages the hands, arms and scalp. The facial concludes as the cucumber slices are removed and a toner is applied again, followed by a moisturizer and sunscreen.”
The facial costs $95 and is available year-round, by appointment.Â
If you want to de-stress without the woo-woo factor, consider Lake Austin. “A clinical psychologist oversees the mind-body programs here,†says judge Alice Domar, PhD, who loves that solid research backs the spa’s offerings, which range from a variety of yoga classes to meditation and qigong (a set of Chinese breathing and movement exercises). In the mind-body-program category, Lake Austin gets the highest score of any on our list. It also racks up points for its fitness options, including sculling, kayaking, and dance classes. Plus, it’s perfect for control freaks who want to take charge and do their own things—though there’s plenty of guidance for those who want it.
Don’t miss: The class on how to make herbal remedies, using bounty from the spa’s organic gardens.
Cost: $4,335 per week, per person, double occupancy, all-inclusive. Three nights start at $1,455, not including spa services
What’s bringing people to Dallas for a vacation? The local hotel association credits new development in retail, arts, parks and other areas, estimated at about $84 billion.
To grab some of the action, existing hotels are jumping into the major renovation game. Right now, these include the former Adam’s Mark downtown, now a Sheraton again; the Renaissance Dallas; and the Hilton Anatole, the latter two both situated on Stemmons Freeway, near Victory Park.
Two noteworthy upgrades
The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek: Opened in 1981, the Mansion is slated to begin a total renovation of all 143 rooms and suites later this year. The focus will be on highlighting the hotel’s residential feel and will bring a mix of furniture styles and fabrics to rooms, making them look less uniform.
Part of the $20 million project took place last year, with an update to the vaunted restaurant, to give it a less formal feel. This summer, the hotel offers a Rosewood Escapes rate available through Labor Day, starting at $235 per night Friday through Sunday, including full breakfast for two and valet parking; or $285 per night on Monday through Thursday, excluding extras. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas, 214-559-2100
Hyatt Regency Dallas: The 1,122-room downtown hotel got a new look a couple of years ago, and now it’s begun a $46 million redo of the landmark Reunion Tower and adjacent Union Station. The big news in this project is the arrival of a Wolfgang Puck signature restaurant, 50 stories up in the revolving tower space, and a Wolfgang Puck Catering operation in the historic train station. Summer rates start at $154; the Explore Package, which includes valet parking, breakfast for two and two tickets to the Sixth Floor Museum, starts at $195. 300 Reunion Blvd., Dallas, 214-651-1234
Other summer specials
Two new hotels that have gained immediate popularity are the W-Victory and the Ritz-Carlton. Here are package deals that may spell a good weekend retreat in Big D:
W-Victory:
The Whisk Away package includes cocktails in The Living Room bar, parking and a Wonderful room, starting at $285. W Sleepaway Camp package includes cocktails, in-room DVD, breakfast and 3 p.m. checkout, starting at $309. 2440 Victory Park Lane, Dallas, 877-822-0000
Ritz-Carlton:
The Reconnect Package includes a deluxe room; $50 credit to be used in the restaurant, spa or for in-room charges; breakfast for two and valet parking, from $299. The Dinner at Fearing’s Package includes a deluxe room, dinner for two at Fearing’s restaurant, signed copies of the Barbwires CD from Fearing’s all-chef band and a signed copy of an exclusive Fearing’s recipe, breakfast for two and valet parking, from $479. The Spa Escape, including deluxe room, two signature massages in the spa, breakfast, valet parking and spa gratuity, from $539. 2121 McKinney Ave., Dallas, 214-922-0200
The luscious fig is surely the most sensual of fruits
A symbol of fertility in many cultures, the fig has long been revered as an aphrodisiac. The ancient Greeks believed figs were a gift from Dionysus, aka Bacchus—the god of wine, wanton behavior, intoxication, and ecstasy—and sacred to Demeter, goddess of the harvest and fertile soil. Figs are believed to have been the favorite fruit of Cleopatra, and they reputedly played a crucial role in her suicide; having decided to take her life in 30 B.C.E. after Mark Antony’s defeat and death, Cleopatra asked that an asp be delivered to her, concealed in a basket of figs.
Fig is the first and most mentioned fruit in the Bible, making its entrance in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves. Some scholars claim that a fig, not an apple, was the unspecified forbidden fruit. The fig’s healing properties are referenced in the Bible, when Isaiah recommends a poultice made of figs to cure a boil.
The fig is native to Turkey, which remains the largest producer of the fruit, followed by California. The fruit is actually a flower inverted upon itself, and the trees are relatively short, about twenty-feet-high. Fig trees are extremely prolific; they usually produce two crops per year, and some bear fruit for up to 100 years—one of the reasons the fruit symbolizes fertility as well as longevity.
It was one of these impressive trees, growing behind her Atlanta shop, that inspired Jill Jones to add a Cranberry Fig collection to her Bidwell Botanicals line about five years ago. Her research into the fig’s beneficial properties proved fruitful. “Figs have been used both topically and as a diet supplement for ages due to their high vitamin content,” explains Jones. “Figs also have natural AHA properties that were used as far back as ancient Egypt to help refresh and brighten the skin. What they probably didn’t know, scientifically anyway, was that fig fruit contains very high levels of phytochemicals that help fight cancer andfilter UV rays, thus protecting the skin.” Jones intended Bidwell’s Cranberry Fig collection to be a seasonal offering, but her customers changed her plans: “We brought it out for the holidays then tried to shelve it, but it was really popular—people were up in arms!”
Indeed, figs seem to fuel a fetish following. Californian Brook Harvey-Taylor, founder of Pacifica, says she was inspired to create her Mediterranean Fig Soap and Body Butter when she first tasted the fruit of a fig tree flourishing next door to her beachfront home about seven years ago. “Once I finally ate a fresh one, I was hooked,” she rhapsodizes. She also fell for the fruit’s intoxicating aroma. “The scent of figs is said to be calming,” she notes. “I can’t think of anything better for skincare than taking time to relax and get rid of stress. The ability to really do this is what leads to long-term health and beauty.”
Yet, it’s not just the fragrance that fosters fig fans. Lynn Shulman, founder of Toronto’s Elixir Spa, uses 100 percent organic fig extract in her most popular treatment, the Exfoliating Fig Enzyme Facial. “The reason I chose fig is because ficin [also known as ficain], the enzyme in figs, is twenty times more powerful than papain (papaya enzyme). It does a fantastic job of exfoliating the skin without irritation.” Skincare leader Dermalogica is also using fig for ficin’s exfoliating properties; its Exfoliating Body Scrub includes powder from the fruit and the tree’s latex (a milky sap), which has a higher concentration of the enzyme.
Los Angeles dermatologist Vicki Rappaport can’t verify the higher potency of ficin: “Papain and ficin come from the same family of cysteine proteases. If ficin is stronger, it’s still weaker than most known exfoliators in skincare.” Noting the perpetual search for the latest, hottest, natural ingredient, she says, “Fig as an ingredient is somewhat untapped but emerging as the sexy new kid on the block. Figs are rich in oils in both the skin and the seeds and they have some mild antioxidant properties, which of course helps reverse damage in the skin. And, most of all, fig as an ingredient usually smells luscious.”
That luscious smell was apparent when I recently previewed the new Cranberry Fig Conditioning Body Scrub at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts. “We were tired of the traditional lavender- and citrus-type scrubs,” explains Spa Director Colleen Stiers of her decision to introduce this treatment. “I was looking for something different but still effective. After doing some research we found the fig was Cleopatra’s favorite fruit and has been used for over 2,000 years for its health and skincare benefits. This antioxidant-rich fruit revitalizes the skin by fighting the damaging effects of the sun and environment.” The treatment begins with a full-body exfoliation using Bidwell’s creamy Cranberry Fig Shea Butter Sugar Body Scrub, which is removed with warm towels, and continues with a relaxing soak in a hydrotherapy tub, followed by a light application of cranberry fig moisturizer. The rich fragrance turned heads—everyone I passed wanted to know what smelled so good—but better than that was the long-lasting benefit of moist and smooth skin.
While the Mediterranean pairing of fig and olive is prevalent—as in fig soaps from Israel-based Noveya and Australia’s Mor Cosmetics— cranberry is another popular partner. Unlike Jones’s experience at Bidwell, Bella Lucce founder Lela Rain Barker hasn’t been swayed by customer demand; spas offer her Cranberry Fig Antioxidant Wrap only as a holiday-season special. That won’t be the case at a new spa concept she is helping develop for Marriott properties in the Middle East, North Africa, and India. Sarray Spa, the first of which will debut at the new Marriott resort in Doha late this year, will offer treatments full of fig extract, fig powder, and fig concentrate. “We chose figs as a key ingredient primarily because of their importance in Arabic culture,” says Barker, noting that her new fig formulations will be available in the United States only via internet sale.
Courtesy of Brook Harvey-Taylor, co-founder, Pacifica
“This (facial mask) recipe is very Santa Barbara—the lavender, figs, and avocado are all very important here. At the farmers market, all of these ingredients are available almost all year.”
Ingredients
1ripe fig, peeled
1tbs. honey, preferably local and organic
1tsp. avocado oil
a few drops of lavender essential oil
Preparation
Puree ingredients together and apply to face for at least 10 minutes. This will be sticky but well worth the results. Honey provides moisture and acts as a carrier for the nutrients in the fig. Avocado oil is full of skin-loving essential fatty acids. The fig will also act as a very mild AHA and will leave your skin smooth.
just calm down spa’s At-Home Fig Scrub
Courtesy of Tara Oolie, founder, just calm down spa
This facial scrub can also be used on the body if you increase the amounts of the ingredients, retaining the same proportions.
Ingredients
1cup brown sugar
1/8cup olive oil
1/4cup finely chopped figs
1/8cup oatmeal
1oz. vanilla extract
Preparation
Mix ingredients together, then massage onto skin for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly
Though Dallas has no dearth of spa options, three new arrivals each offer something special.
JUST SAY SPA
At the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, a sense of well-being enfolds you like a fluffy robe the moment you step off the elevator and into the second-floor spa, 12,000 square feet of world-class stress relief. Only-in-Dallas options include the Texas Eight-Hand Massage and Dean’s (as in Fearing) Margarita Salt Glow. But the ayurveda-inspired Shirodhara Journey, in which a continuous stream of warmed sesame oil flows onto your forehead and into your hair, transports you much, much farther, just this side of nirvana. We also couldn’t resist an Intraceuticals Oxygen Infusion treatment, which the technician explained pumps vitamins, low-weight hyaluronic acid and antioxidants into the skin via “topical hyperbaric oxygen technology.” The midsession reveal — treated side rosy, plump and lifted; untreated side not so much — instantly explained why Madonna has a system in each of her three homes and gets a 30-minute infusion before each performance. The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Spa, 2121 McKinney Ave
The news at Mokara Salon & Spa, which opened just last month at the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas, is that it’s No. 1 — the first in a series of full-service spas going into Omni Hotels across North America. What future locations won’t have is a reception room with a two-story glass window overlooking the Las Colinas canal. But they will share Mokara’s green-conscious finish-out (cork and bamboo flooring) and emphasis on sharing. “Unlike other spas that want you to find inner peace, we want you to find inner peace with a friend,” says spa director Victoria Nickle. Hence the cozy couples massage room and Mom & Me, Dad & Me mani-pedi offerings. Mokara Salon & Spa, Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, 215 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving,
Sam Granado
Fans of Aveda Lifestyle Salons (Dallas fave Avalon just opened its fifth location, in Victory Park’s LFT) will no doubt enjoy more plant-and-flower-based pampering at Hiatus Spa and Retreat. Co-owners and self-described spa junkies Kristin Heaton and Sheila Garrison offer a membership system, “so that going for a massage or facial isn’t viewed as a luxury, but maintenance, like belonging to a health club or yoga studio,” says Heaton. H-circle members pay $49 to $69 to receive one core spa service each month. With approximately 4,700 available appointments each month, Heaton notes, “you can almost always call and get in that day.”
Hiatus Spa and Retreat, 5560 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 250
Hotel ZaZa
Ready for Reiki?.
“You may hear me flick my fingers or clap my hands after I finish an area,” says Manonne Fontainne to the skeptical client (me) lying face-up on a massage table at Hotel ZaZa’s ZaSpa. “You may feel a tingling on the crown of your head or tip of your nose, or even a jolt.”
Fontainne, a petite blonde with a lilting accent I wrongly assumed to be French (she’s Hungarian), is a certified master of Reiki. The restorative technique, developed in the early 20th century by a Japanese Buddhist monk, is based on the principle of “universal life force energy,” which practitioners believe can be rebalanced by hovering their hands over different areas of a client’s body – a touchless massage. I’m skeptical, though pleasantly relaxed, until Fontainne’s hovering hands reach my left hip, at which point the top of my head feels a strong electric tingle. “Ahhh,” she breathes, almost as if the prickle were visible. After 50 minutes under her hands, I’m as relaxed as a cat sleeping in sunshine.
ZaSpa Reiki treatments, $130 for 50 minutes, $175 for 80 minutes
THE BEAUTY DOCTOR IS IN
Good skin care and good genes can only take you so far. That’s where aesthetic medicine comes in. “We’re not derms, and we’re not plastics. It’s really a brand-new field,” says Lynley McAnalley, whose practice near Preston Center gets a steady stream of shop owners, hairstylists and (yes) fashion editors. Board-certified in family medicine with 10 years’ E.R. experience, McAnalley now focuses strictly on aesthetics, with a micro-specialty in injectibles. The field’s tipping point, she says, was when Botox Cosmetic received FDA approval in 2001, followed by a wave of non-animal-based dermal fillers – Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra et. al. – for restoring volume and smoothing creases and folds.
McAnalley isn’t the only hot doc to switch gears from traditional to aesthetic medicine, or whose name comes up among the chic who don’t mind sharing. Vinita Schroeder, board-certified in pediatrics and allergy and immunology, still sees allergy patients in her Park Cities clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but devotes Mondays and Wednesdays to treatments such as IPL photofacials and mesolift skin rejuvenations. Jason Riehs gave up internal medicine to open Le Beau Visage in Frisco, overseeing a staff of three aestheticians and attracting clients ranging from chic suburbanites to heart-of-Dallas A-gays. Riehs administers all injectibles himself and proudly notes: “We’re ‘platinum status’ in both Botox and Restylane, which means we do a lot of it.”
The fact that all three docs are themselves gorgeous doesn’t hurt. Says one male McAnalley devotee, “I always tell her, ‘Do whatever you want, just make me look exactly like you.’ “
• Dr. Lynley K. McAnalley, Highland Park Aesthetic Medicine, 5917 Sherry Lane,
• Dr. Jason M. Riehs, Le Beau Visage Medical Spa, 3685 Preston Road, Suite 129, Frisco
• Dr. Vinita Schroeder, Park Cities Skin Care, 4119 Lomo Alto Drive
MIDAS TOUCH
Like everything else, facials are getting pricier. Twenty-year vet Renée Rouleau, who opens a by-appointment-only skin-care satellite at One Arts Plaza this month, has developed Synergy 7 – a facial that rolls seven anti-aging technologies and treatments into one hour-and-a-half session. Price? A cool $600, or $675 if Rouleau herself lays on hands. Meanwhile, Luxury on Lovers is one of the first salons in the country to offer the 24-Karat Gold Facial, a proprietary treatment pioneered by Japan-based UMO Inc. that incorporates actual gold leaf. Believers say gold’s anti-inflammatory properties help fine lines and reduce sun damage and pigmentation. But even if the $298 treatment is more shine than substance, you’ll still come away glowing.
So you’ve rubbed out your wrinkles with 24K gold. Now it’s time to de-stress with 14K needles. Lake Austin Spa Resort, a blue oasis in the heart of Texas Hill Country, has just debuted Hari at their award-winning spa. A Japanese healing technique developed by blind practitioners, Hari is a refined form of acupuncture that treats the body with gentle pressure, rather than pricking the skin.
Lake Austin’s resident acupuncturist Aaron Rubinstein is one of only two puncture pros in the country certified to teach Hari — though he’s probably too busy actually performing the $130 procedure on guests at Lake Austin spa.
The benefits of Hari –- or any style of acupuncture, even –- reads like a hypochondriac’s dream: it is said to cure everything from jaw pain to asthma, even infertility.
To better serve the needs of its patients, CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth has announced that it will celebrate the opening of CHRISTUS Health Living Spa – a Murad Inclusive Health® Center on March 4, 2009.
 
